Lower Manhattan’s Local News |
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Doing Good, Even When Not Doing Well A Local Business Struggles to Survive, By Helping Those Less Fortunate |
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In happier times: Karen Barwick (right) and her staff, at Tribeca’s Boomerang Toys |
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Karen Barwick, the proprietress of Boomerang Toys in Tribeca, which has been a fixture in the lives of generations of Lower Manhattan kids, is leading a push to bring a smile to the faces of homeless children, who are quarantined in shelters, while also helping small businesses. “We have teamed up with several other neighborhood toy stores that are struggling, because of being locked down,” she explains, “and partnered with Homeless Services United” (HSU) — a coalition of nearly sixty non-profit agencies serving homeless families. By browsing www.BoomerangToys.com, and clicking on the Donate button, users can purchase a toy that will be delivered to a shelter by the HSU’S existing distribution network, which already parcels out clothing and food. The project, called Shelter and Play, began shortly after the onset of the pandemic coronavirus, which has shuttered business of all stripes throughout the New York region. “I started by talking to other independent toy stores owners, on the Upper West Side, and in Brooklyn,” Ms. Barwick recalls. “I realized that the other owners had the same thought that had occurred to me,” she continues. “While this is a very difficult time for kids who have to stay home, it is vastly worse for kids who don’t have a home, and are living in the City’s shelter system. For them, going to school five days a week is a respite and a refuge, the way home is for other kids. And they are deprived of that right now.” |
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The Boomerang Toy store, like most other small businesses throughout New York, has been locked down in the wake of the pandemic coronavirus, and is struggling to survive. |
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“So we began kicking around ideas for how to give toys to these children,” Ms. Barwick reflects. “And first question was how to pay for them, since all of our business are locked down.” The owners of multiple toys stores quickly hatched the plan for Shelter and Play, which has added a Donate button to each of their websites. This links to a secure PayPal gateway, via which users can donate any amount they chose. “With those funds,” she says, “we will each be purchasing toys from our own stores, for delivery to homeless children.” “The second issue was how to get toys to kids in shelters,” Ms. Barwick acknowledges. “Physically delivering them ourselves would be complicated, because there are more than 100 shelters throughout the City, and nobody is supposed to be going outside. And it also seemed like a health risk,” in view of the fact that at least 20 residents of City homeless shelters have died of COVID-19 and hundreds more have been confirmed to be infected. “So we contacted HSU,” she says, “and they agreed that using their distribution channels would be no problem.” This initiative comes at a time when small businesses like Boomerang Toys are struggling to survive. “My landlord, without any prodding, gave everyone a break for April,” Ms. Barwick says. “Not zero rent, but a break. That helped a lot, but we have many fixed overhead costs, and no income at all coming in right now. So this may give us a lifeline to pay at least some of our bills. And hopefully, that may mean we come back from this, once the crisis is over.” Matthew Fenton |
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COVID-19 and your pets. A Guide from the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare how to care for your pet during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
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Updated Pandemic Statistics City Releases Data about Local Rates of Infection |
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Lower Manhattan’s eight zip codes are the site of 402 confirmed cases of coronavirus, up from 309 cases on April 2, which represents an increase of approximately 30 percent. |
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A total of 402 residents of Lower Manhattan (among 973 who have been tested) are confirmed to have been infected by the pandemic coronavirus, according to statistics released by the City’s Department of Health (DOH). The current local mortality rate for COVID-19 is approximately 5.8 percent. To read more… |
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NEWS FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE BROADSHEETDAILY |
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Pandemic Protections Federal Legislator Backs Proposal to Extend September 11 Safeguards to Coronavirus |
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A screen shot from Monday evening’s online meeting of the Downtown Independent Democrats political club (to which all participants linked remotely, via the Internet, from their homes), during which Lower Manhattan community leader Justine Cuccia (upper right) proposed to United States Congressman (center) that federal programs aiding September 11 first responders and survivors be expanded to cover the pandemic coronavirus |
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United States Congressman Jerry Nadler has endorsed a proposal by a Lower Manhattan community leader to expand the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) September 11th Victims Compensation Fund (VCF) to cover illness and death from the pandemic coronavirus among the populations of first responders and survivors whose health was impacted by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. An an online meeting of the Downtown Independent Democrats political club on Monday evening, Mr. Nadler was asked by Justine Cuccia, a co-founder of the grassroots organization, Democracy for Battery Park City, whether he would, “support an expansion of the Health Program and the VCF to cover COVID-19, because the survivor population are among those who are at heightened risk of complications from this disease?” To read more… |
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Resilience, in the Original Sense of the Word Facing Adversity, One Community Leader Tries to Lead By Example |
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In the days following September 11, 2001, Bob Townley called the community together at the basketball court at the intersection of Canal Street and Avenue of the Americas. |
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Bob Townley, the founder and executive director of Manhattan Youth, reflects, “I’ve been through this before — twice, actually.” He is referring to a pair of previous cataclysms that seemed to threaten the viability of the Lower Manhattan community he serves, as well as the organization he leads. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the inundation of Hurricane Sandy, 11 years later, both wrecked the neighborhood. And both raised questions about whether Manhattan Youth, which provides services to thousands of school children, families, and seniors, could remain viable. So the ongoing crisis related to the pandemic coronavirus is not without precedent for him. “In the fall of 2001,” he recalls, “pieces of the World Trade Center were in a pool on Rector Place, where we had been giving toddlers swimming lessons a few days before. And when I finally got back into our Downtown Community Center in November, 2012, we had 20 feet of water in the basement. The entire bottom level, and a second story below the street, were both submerged.” |
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New Amsterdam Market returns in virtual format, as a service to the growing community of purveyors, distributors, producers and other small businesses who are creating regional, sustainable, regenerative, healthful, and equitable food systems. |
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A pair of peregrin falcons are back in Lower Manhattan, high above 55 Water Street. Click to watch a live camera as they care for their clutch of eggs that are expected to hatch in the coming weeks. |
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Virtual Events Available to All |
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Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field National Museum of the American Indian Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field is a pair of sequential photo essays created by Native photojournalists Russel Albert Daniels and Tailyr Irvine in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian. The work of both photographers springs from the same desires—to break down stereotypes of Native peoples and to portray stories that show the diversity and complexity of their contemporary lives. While the installation of the first photo essay by Daniels — The Genízaro People of Abiquiú — is postponed due to coronavirus, the photo essay is online. Youth Art Contest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Celebrate Endangered Species Day (May 15) and the 50th anniversary of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by participating in the Greater Atlantic Region’s Marine Endangered Species Art Contest. Endangered and threatened species need our help. Students’ artwork will showcase their knowledge and commitment to protecting these animals. Throughout 2020, NOAA is celebrating 50 years of science, service, and stewardship. NOAA is a world-class forecasting and resource management agency with a reach that goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor. In the next 50 years, NOAA will advance innovative research and technology, answer tough scientific questions, explored the unexplored, inspire new approaches to conservation, and power the U.S. economy. Through April 24 Today through April 30 Mission to Remember 9/11 Memorial and Museum This documentary series explores the shared commitment to the mission behind the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. From showing how we create new traditions of tribute, to demonstrating our unique conservation techniques, the short films go beyond the surface to immerse viewers in untold stories of honor and remembrance. Click here to view the series.Today through April 30 The Stories They Tell 9/11 Memorial and Museum Family members, survivors, first responders and recovery workers discuss the 9/11 history they are helping to preserve through the material they have shared with the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Click here. |
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Today through April 30 Battery Dance TV Battery Dance Offerings include morning warmup/stretching/conditioning exercises, mid-day classes in contemporary dance with afro, ballet and jazz fusion elements, evening classes in varied ballroom styles, plus a daily short video at 4pm by dancers performing in their living rooms. Today through April 30 Tourist in Your Own Town Videos The New York Landmarks Conservancy Now that most of us are staying home, you can take virtual tours of New York City.Visit Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, Alexander Hamilton’s home in Upper Manhattan, the Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan, the site of the Battle of Brooklyn, the home of one of America’s first female photographers on Staten Island, and Louis Armstrong’s home in Queens. There are 61 sites in all. You’ll be amazed at the discoveries you will make. |
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Role Reversal Downtown Food Festival Supports Local Restaurants by Feeding Healthcare Workers |
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The ever-popular Taste of Tribeca food festival has been cancelled for this year, but the organizers are rallying support to help the now-struggling restaurants that have contributed food for decades, by purchasing meals to donate to hospital workers. |
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Starting today, up to 100 free meals will be arriving daily at local healthcare facilities, prepared by half a dozen Lower Manhattan restaurants, and paid for with contributions solicited by the Downtown parents who organize the Taste of Tribeca food festival. For the past 25 years, that event has accepted food contributed by dozens of eateries, and sold these “tastes” at a street fair, to raise money for two beloved local public schools: P.S. 234 and P.S. 150. Earlier this month, however, mounting concerns about the pandemic coronavirus forced the first-ever cancellation of the event. |
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Biking through traffic seven years ago at lunch hour in downtown Manhattan compared to the dearth of people and traffic after the Corona virus epidemic is a huge contrast. Footage is sped up, so although it may look a but scary, the ride was totally safe! Thanks and be well! -Esther R. |
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Where to Get Care Lower Manhattan Health Resources for Residents with Concerns |
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Government officials are asking that people with non-urgent health problems avoid showing up at hospital emergency rooms, which are already overburdened. Instead, they ask that patients who have concerns consult with their personal physicians. Those in need of non-emergency medical help can also call (or walk into) one of the five Lower Manhattan urgent care clinics that remain open. As of Thursday afternoon, these are: • CityMD Financial District (24 Broad Street). No appointment necessary. 646-647-1259. • CityMD Fulton (138 Fulton Street). No appointment necessary. 212-271-4896. • CityMD Tribeca (87 Chambers Street). No appointment necessary. 347-745-8321. • NYU Langone at Trinity (111 Broadway). Appointment required. 212-263-9700. • Mount Sinai Doctors (225 Greenwich Street, fifth floor). No appointment necessary. 212-298-2720. That noted, anyone experiencing dangerous symptoms (such as trouble breathing or dangerous spikes in body temperature) is encouraged to go to a hospital emergency room. Two Lower Manhattan healthcare providers are also offering Virtual Visits, in which patients can consult over the phone or video link with a physician or nurse practitioner. To schedule such a session with NYU Langone, please browse: NYULangone.org, and click on Virtual Urgent Care. To make an appointment with New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, please browse NYP.org, and click on Virtual Urgent Care. Patients enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program are advised not to cancel or reschedule existing appointments. Clinic staff will be contacting you to make arrangements to convert these sessions into a tele-visits. All program participants with prescriptions for their certified WTC-related conditions are strongly encouraged to sign up for Optum Home Delivery which allows for 90-day prescription fills and delivers directly to members by mail. For more information, please call Optum at 855-640–0005, Option 2. For members who prefer to pick up prescriptions at retail pharmacies, the program is waiving early medication refill limits on 30-day prescription maintenance medications. Please call Optum at 855-640–0005, Option 3 for more information. The World Trade Center Health Program is also covering limited COVID-19 testing for members with certain certified World Trade Center-related conditions that may put them at higher risk of illness from COVID-19. In addition to testing, treatment for COVID-19 is also covered, contingent on certain criteria being met, including that the member was eligible for COVID-19 testing, the treatment is authorized by the program, and the treatment is not experimental. Coverage of COVID-19 treatment costs requires approval by the program’s administrator, on a case-by-case basis. Matthew Fenton |
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WANTED: Your Coronavirus story in one hundred words. ———————————————————————————– |
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Meditations in an Emergency Our Hometown and the Myth of Eternal Return |
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You tell yourself that you’ve seen this story before, and more than once: edifices falling; waters rising. And you reflect that the worst situations are not those that can’t get any worse. The worst situations are the ones that are going to get worse before they get better. So you hunker down. You recall the Old Man deciding, a lifetime ago, that since you were too old for fairy tales, you were perhaps old enough for true confessions. To read more… |
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Today In History April 13 |
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Thomas Jerrerson “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” |
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1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1742 – George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah makes its world-premiere in Dublin, Ireland. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces are ambushed and defeated in the Battle of Bound Brook, New Jersey. 1861 – American Civil War: Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederate forces. 1870 – The Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded. 1919 – Eugene V. Debs is imprisoned at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia, for speaking out against the draft during World War I. 1943 – World War II: The discovery of mass graves of Polish prisoners of war killed by Soviet forces in the Katyń Forest Massacre is announced, causing a diplomatic rift between the Polish government-in-exile in London from the Soviet Union, which denies responsibility. 1953 – CIA director Allen Dulles launches the mind-control program Project MKUltra. 1970 – An oxygen tank aboard the Apollo 13 Service Module explodes, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the Apollo Command/Service Module while en route to the Moon. 1976 – The Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson’s 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration. 2017 – The US drops the largest ever non-nuclear weapon on Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. |
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NASA engineer’s welcoming Apollo 13 back from space |
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Births 1519 – Catherine de’ Medici, Italian-French wife of Henry II of France 1570 – Guy Fawkes, English soldier, planned the Gunpowder Plot (d. 1606) 1743 – Thomas Jefferson, American lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the United States (d. 1826) 1852 – Frank Winfield Woolworth, American businessman, founded the F. W. Woolworth Company (d. 1919) 1902 – Philippe de Rothschild, French Grand Prix driver, playwright, and producer (d. 1988) 1906 – Samuel Beckett, Irish novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989) 1931 – Dan Gurney, American race car driver and engineer (d. 2018) Deaths 548 – Lэ Nam Đế, Vietnamese emperor (b. 503) 1592 – Bartolomeo Ammannati, Italian architect and sculptor (b. 1511) |
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